The Annoyance
by Saun
Summary: Haruka and Michiru: Haruka hires a wedding planner


I did not actually write this although I had a hand in it.   
I am uploading it for all of you who keep asking me for a copy.  
It just seems to have disappeared off of FF.net so here it is for   
you're enjoyment.  
-Saun  
  
The Annoyance  
Written By: Rhapsody  
sailor_rhapsody@hotmail.com  
Rating: PG (for mindless sax and senseless violins)  
  
In the words of the immortal Saun, Sailor Moon and co. do not belong  
to me. I just borrowed them for a bit. Please enjoy.  
  
The Annoyance  
  
Six weeks before the wedding, Michiru was calm and organized.   
Four weeks before the wedding, she was starting to feel a bit rushed.   
Two weeks before the wedding, she was ready to scream.   
  
Concerned about their housemate, Haruka, Setsuna, and   
Hotaru held a secret enclave in the basement. These days,   
Michiru was a walking day planner, continually making and remaking  
important decisions. Just that morning, Haruka awoke to a shower   
of post-it notes raining down from the headboard, where Michiru   
had planned out the seating arrangements for the plane during   
the night.  
  
"Enough is enough," Haruka declared. "Michiru is   
driving herself crazy and taking us with her."  
  
Setsuna nodded seriously. "I think it's time we get her   
some professional help."  
  
"A psychiatrist?" Hotaru suggested.  
  
"No," Setsuna said with a shudder. "A... Wedding   
Coordinator!"  
  
Haruka gave a sharp nod. "We're agreed, then?" The others  
nodded. "All right. I'll take care of it." The three shook hands   
and stole quietly to different parts of the house, lest Michiru   
think that anything was afoot.  
  
The next day, a pall of anticipation hung over the busy  
home of the Outer Senshi. Today, Haruka was going to tell Michiru   
about the wedding coordinator they had hired behind her back.   
No one knew exactly how the bride-to-be would react. Setsuna  
had locked herself in her workroom with her sewing machine  
and yards of material. Hotaru had packed her things for the   
trip plus anything else anyone would let her touch, and departed   
for the Tsukino house to be out of the way. The Inners, who had  
been doing their best to be helpful, were picking up dry-cleaning   
and running the various other errands Michiru had remembered at   
three o'clock that morning. Therefore, there were no witnesses  
to the argument that erupted between the two lovebirds.  
  
"A wedding coordinator? It's two weeks before the   
wedding, and you hire a wedding coordinator? If we were going to   
do it this way, why didn't you hire one at the beginning?" Michiru  
was livid.  
  
"You were doing such a marvelous job that I didn't think   
one was necessary, dear heart. I'm just trying to make things   
easier for you! You've nearly worked yourself to death." Haruka  
tried to sound reasonable.  
  
"Necessary? So now it's necessary?! Oh look, Michiru's   
made a mess of things and now we have to hire a wedding coordinator  
to straighten them out. She just couldn't cope by herself, you know."  
  
"You know that's not what I meant..."  
  
"And how is this supposed to make things easier for me?   
Now I have to bring him up to date on what's already been done,  
and what's most urgent - and does he even know we're doing a   
traditional wedding?"  
  
"Yes, that's part of what took me so long to find him.   
It's hard to find someone experienced in traditional Japanese  
weddings who's willing to fly off to Hawaii at this time of year."  
  
"And now we've got to get another ticket! Do you know how   
hard it is to get tickets that don't cost a fortune at this short   
notice?"  
  
"Michiru, just give him a chance. If it doesn't work   
out, we can always get rid of him."  
  
"You promise?"  
  
"I give you my word."  
  
From the vicinity of Setsuna's room they heard the  
muted sound of a champagne cork popping.  
  
  
The next day, Haruka paced nervously as she waited for the   
doorbell to ring. Michiru sat on the sofa, scanning through her   
planner and making notes on the various worksheets spread out on   
the coffee table in front of her. It had taken more effort to find   
this man than Haruka let on. She spent hours on the phone the   
night before, calling in favors and trading on her fame as an  
F1 racer and Michiru's as a violinist to even get his number.   
Apparently, the fellow was an absolute wizard with weddings and  
very exacting to boot. Haruka's primary concern was that there  
would be friction between the coordinator and her strong-willed  
bride. If the least little thing happened to offend him, he was   
likely to pack up and leave, charging double for whatever services   
he had already rendered. After a nerve wracking half hour, the   
doorbell finally rang and Haruka welcomed her discovery into the  
house.  
  
Michiru looked up to find a man of medium build in a black   
suit invading her living room. He set down a suitcase and tipped   
back his mirrored sunglasses to eye the room critically. With a   
toss of his head, he sent his incredibly long braid of electric  
blue hair back over his shoulder and held out his hand to Michiru.  
  
"You must be the bride."  
  
"Hai. Kaioh Michiru."  
  
"I'm Meiwaku Burei." Michiru raised an eyebrow. That   
wasn't a good sign. "Would you care to show me what you have   
already?" Over the next few hours Burei proved to be insightful,  
charming, and polite. He seemed to be the perfect solution.   
Haruka was amazed how smoothly her prize had managed to pick up   
on how her fiancée wanted things done. As dinnertime approached,  
however, Haruka began to wonder when he was going to leave. As   
their usual time for dinner passed, Haruka became more concerned.  
  
"Darling, isn't it getting a bit late? Shouldn't we   
start preparations for dinner?" As Michiru pored over various  
brochures, her new right hand answered for her.  
  
"Excellent idea, Haruka-san. But don't feel obliged to   
make something fancy on my account. We'll probably be too busy   
tonight to do more than eat a couple of bites. I'm just so   
excited about this! Something Italian would be lovely, though.   
By the way, which room will I be staying in? It'd be ever so   
helpful if you'd bring my bag up for me."  
  
Haruka's eyes widened. She hadn't known that a houseguest  
was part of the deal. "Michiru?" she queried.  
  
Michiru looked up briefly. "Anything you fix will be   
fine," she replied distractedly. "And would you please put his  
things in Hotaru's room? I'm sure she won't mind."  
  
After finding nothing she was competent to cook with in   
the refrigerator, Haruka jumped in the car and started searching   
for an Italian takeout restaurant. She was starting to wonder   
if hiring a wedding coordinator was such a bright idea. After   
driving around Tokyo for two hours and shelling out an exorbitant  
amount for a variety of Italian goodies, she was fairly certain  
that it wasn't.  
  
By the time Haruka returned with the food, Setsuna had   
emerged from her room for her nightly socializing session,   
commonly known as dinner, and had been promptly cornered by   
their guest. Meiwaku-san had apparently finished interrogating  
the poor time senshi about Michiru's wardrobe and moved on to   
Haruka's. From the way the red-eyed woman was gritting her  
teeth, their temperamental wedding expert was dissatisfied with  
her progress.  
  
"I expect to see the finished haori and hakama right after   
dinner. And I understand you're doing the kimonos for the rest   
of the wedding party as well? How far have you gotten on those?"   
Burei sneered as Setsuna opened and shut her mouth several times,  
trying to frame a suitable response. "You're not going to have   
time, are you? I guess we'll just have to get in touch with   
an associate of mine. I'm confident that he can get them done  
properly and on our schedule. You've finished your own apparel   
at least, I see." He said, flipping the garment draped over  
Setsuna's arm with a careless finger. "Typical, really.   
Amateurs always do take too much into their own hands. We'll   
just have to see how much of this can be salvaged." As  
Haruka set the food on the kitchen table, the blue-haired   
man was demanding to see all the finished garments right after  
dinner. Just as Setsuna opened her mouth to give the shorter  
man a piece of her mind, Michiru waltzed down the stairs   
looking refreshed.  
  
"Ah, Setsuna! I see you and Burei-san have met."  
  
"Something like that," Setsuna said flatly.  
  
During a meal that was unusually quiet on Haruka and   
Setsuna's parts, Burei and Michiru chattered gaily about hotel  
accommodations, color schemes, and banquets, filling Haruka in   
on all the changes they'd made while she was out. Haruka managed   
to keep her winces to a minimum until talk turned to gifts for   
the guests. Haruka cleared her throat.  
  
"Michi, we already discussed this. We're already paying  
for everyone's airfare and hotel rooms. Isn't that enough?"  
  
"But Haruka, it's traditional. After all, these people  
are our close friends, and they've done so much for us. Tsukino   
Kenji-san is even going to be missing work to be there."  
  
Haruka sat for a moment, struggling to rationalize the extra   
expense. Finally, she shook her head. "I'm sorry, Michiru, but   
the answer is no. We just can't do it. Unless you actually have   
the time to sit and hand-paint a few dozen pairs of chopsticks..."  
  
Tears formed in Michiru's lovely blue eyes and Haruka knew   
she'd just made a mistake. Stricken, she stood up and made to   
apologize to her fiancée, but Burei got there first.   
  
"There, there, my dear," the unctuous little man soothed,  
patting Michiru on the arm sympathetically. "So often men just don't   
understand how important these things can be to a woman."   
  
Haruka stood there making small choking noises for several  
moments until, afraid of what she might do next, Setsuna dragged her  
from the room. In the living room, which currently resembled the   
war-room for the Petticoat Rebellion, Haruka sputtered for several   
more minutes before finally accepting a sip from the glass Setsuna   
had brought with her from the kitchen. After a few swallows, she   
eyed her housemate in surprise.   
  
"Setsuna, that's not mineral water."   
  
The Guardian of Time and Space shrugged. "Sometimes it   
takes something a little stronger to settle one's nerves." When   
Haruka made to go back into the kitchen, Setsuna laid a restraining   
hand on her arm. "What are you going to do?"  
  
Haruka rolled up one sleeve of her white cotton shirt. "I'm   
going to politely invite him to leave. He's not helping any. In fact,  
I think he's making matters worse."  
  
"Haruka, I think you should give it another chance. I think   
he's actually managing to take some of the pressure from Michiru.   
Sure, it's landing on you and me, but all that stress has to go   
somewhere. While you were gone, they went through all the plans   
and, from the look on her face, it's taken a huge burden off her   
shoulders."  
  
Haruka sighed and looked through the open kitchen door at   
her bride-to-be, who had gone back to making notes in a journal  
and toying with her fettuccini, still sniffing occasionally.   
Meiwaku-san, she noted with annoyance, had only eaten two bites   
of everything and left the rest of the food on his plate.   
  
"All right," she conceded, with a small shake of her head.   
  
"Guess I'd better go get this over with."  
  
  
The next morning on her way down to the kitchen for breakfast,   
Haruka heard an ominous crash from Hotaru's room. She knocked on the   
door and opened it a crack. "Meiwaku-san? Is everything all right?"  
  
"Fine fine fine!" their guest said irritably. "But who in   
their right mind would position a lamp so precariously? Even if it  
~was~ tacky?"  
  
Fear clutching her heart, Haruka swung the door the rest of  
the way open and surveyed the wreckage. Shards of brightly colored  
glass littered the floor next to Hotaru's nightstand, and a gaudy   
alarm clock, which vaguely resembled a super-deformed Nagha from   
Slayers, rested in the lamp's customary place. The clock was   
laughing shrilly in a manner disconcertingly similar to Kaolinite's.  
  
"What happened?"  
  
"I was reaching to hit the snooze alarm and brushed that   
cheap piece of trash. Obviously, it fell." Haruka bit her lip.   
Hotaru loved the Tiffany lamp her father, Tomoe Soichi, had sent  
her for her last birthday. This was not going to be pleasant.  
  
"I think Setsuna should be done fixing breakfast soon,   
Meiwaku-san. I'll come back in a few minutes and clean up the  
mess." With a sigh, Haruka went downstairs to fetch the dustpan   
and broom from the kitchen. Setsuna, busy at the stove, gave her   
an inquiring look. "The Tiffany lamp," she said by way of  
explanation. Setsuna gasped and her hand flew to her mouth.  
  
"Not the one Soichi-san sent her from America?" Haruka   
nodded mutely.  
  
"How did it happen?"  
  
"He knocked it off the nightstand trying to hit his   
snooze alarm. He claims it was precariously perched." At that,  
Setsuna gave a short bark of laughter.  
  
"If you think it's so funny, Setsuna, maybe you should be   
the one to tell the Senshi of Destruction that our bumbling   
house-guest broke her favorite lamp into a thousand pieces."  
  
"Uh uh, Haruka. Nice try. You run faster than I do, and I   
still have embroidering to do. You can't afford to lose me."  
  
Meiwaku chose that moment to breeze down the stairs and into   
the kitchen with Michiru close on his heels. Already they were  
involved in an in depth discussion about the wedding reception.   
Michiru paused a moment to give Haruka her morning kiss, but Haruka   
still found it hard not to grumble all the way back up to her   
daughter's bedroom. By the time she returned to the kitchen,   
with a trash bag in one hand and a bandage on the other, Burei   
already had another task cooked up for her.  
  
"Cranes?"  
  
"Yes, cranes," Michiru affirmed. "It shouldn't be too much  
trouble. You can get the girls to help you." Shortly thereafter,   
Haruka found herself driving to the Hikawa Jinja Shrine laden   
with what Michiru assured her was enough white, gold, and red  
paper to make a thousand and one origami cranes.  
  
  
When she arrived, Haruka was greeted only by Rei, Ami,   
and Makoto. "Usagi wasn't up yet when we called, so she, Chibi Usa,   
and Hotaru will be a bit late," Rei explained with a toss of her   
head. Haruka nodded. It wasn't incredibly surprising that the   
Princess had overslept. The same probably accounted for Minako's  
absence, as well. The four women settled down at the table and  
started folding. Haruka knew intellectually that Meiwaku   
couldn't have designed the activity purely as a way to torture   
her, but she strongly suspected that he intended it to keep her  
out of the way while he and Michiru shopped for the guest's   
gifts. Though the procedure was simple enough, it required a   
certain kind of patience that Haruka generally reserved for   
things she considered more important. For her, origami was   
tedious and unrewarding. The task was not made easier by the   
stinging cut on her left hand she'd acquired cleaning up the broken   
lamp.  
  
By the time they heard the sound of cheerful bickering   
approaching the temple, the senshi had amassed a modest pile of   
cranes of various sizes. Chibi Usa arrived, rubbing a growing   
bump on her forehead and talking to Usagi over her shoulder.   
Hotaru entered next. Her violet eyes lighting up at the sight   
of her Haruka-papa, the little girl ran over for a hug. Haruka   
swept up her daughter and spun her around before embracing her   
tightly.  
  
"Have you been having fun, Hime-chan?"  
  
Hotaru nodded enthusiastically as Haruka set her down.   
"Chibi Usa-chan helped me catch the Legendary Birds on my Pokemon   
game. How is everything working out with the wedding coordinator?"  
  
Haruka swallowed and forced a smile. "I think he's making   
things much easier for your Michiru-mama." Hotaru looked at her   
papa skeptically and raised one eyebrow. The child was very good  
at reading between the lines for someone her age. Haruka decided  
not to insult her daughter's intelligence. "He's driving your   
Setsuna-mama... pretty hard, and he and I don't get along very  
well."  
  
"How did you hurt your hand?"  
  
"Hotaru-chan, I have some bad news. Meiwaku-san had an   
accident this morning and I'm afraid one of your lamps was broken."  
  
Hotaru blinked twice and stared straight ahead. "Which  
one?" she asked, her voice deceptively quiet.  
  
"The Tiffany lamp."  
  
Hotaru blinked several more times. "The one Soichi-papa   
sent me from America? The one with purple and green flowers on it?"  
  
"Hai. Gomen, Hotaru-chan."  
  
The little girl considered for a moment, then looked up at her  
Haruka-papa with trusting eyes. She unwrapped the bandage and began   
to heal her papa's wound. "I'm sorry too, Haruka-papa," she said   
sweetly. "I hope you didn't hurt yourself too badly. Will Meiwaku-san   
be all right? Did they have to take him to the hospital when you   
finished with him?"  
  
Haruka chuckled a bit. "No, Hime-chan, I didn't hit him.   
He's our guest, and he really is being a great help to Michiru."   
Storm clouds gathered on Hotaru's brow and the child dropped   
Haruka's hand.   
  
"Well, I hope it doesn't hurt too much." She clenched her  
fingers as she stalked over to the table and sat next to Chibi Usa,   
sulking. Only then did Haruka notice that Usagi had entered with   
another pink-odangoed child in tow.   
  
"Chibi Chibi-chan! Where did you come from?" Haruka   
said, crouching to address the toddler.  
  
"Come from!" Chibi Chibi trilled, then giggled.  
  
"It was the usual, Haruka-san." Usagi said, smiling. "Only  
this time when she fell out of the sky Chibi Usa ended up with the  
goose-egg instead of me!"  
  
"I don't know whether this is going to make Michiru's day   
or ruin it!" Haruka exclaimed. "We only just managed to get a   
plane ticket for Meiwaku-san."  
  
Suddenly, Usagi dove past Haruka to apprehend her small   
charge, who was delightedly engaged in unfolding paper cranes.   
"Iie, Chibi Chibi-chan! We mustn't play with the pretty paper   
birds!"  
  
"Pretty birds!" the child squealed. After a brief   
chase around the room, Usagi finally managed to corral the   
energetic little girl. Shortly thereafter, Minako arrived with   
an apology and an excuse. Luna and Artemis watched Chibi Chibi  
while everyone else folded cranes.  
  
Two hours later, Haruka sat back, massaging her tired  
hands, and surveyed the growing pile of cranes. Their princess  
emitted a frustrated half-scream from where she sat surrounded  
by a sea of crumpled paper. A rather rumpled-looking origami   
turtle sat in front of her. "This is driving me crazy!" Rei  
and Makoto exchanged significant glances, the black-haired   
girl working hard to suppress her mirth as Ami-chan leaned   
over to explain the process one more time.   
  
"Oh, so this one goes ~this~ way!" Usagi said,   
comprehension finally dawning. Over the next thirty minutes,   
the princess completed a whopping twenty cranes. By the time   
they stopped for lunch, Haruka never wanted to see another   
crane again. They counted as they loaded the cranes into   
paper shopping bags and were relieved to find that they were   
a little over half way to their goal.  
  
"This is cause for a celebration!" Haruka proclaimed.  
"Who wants to join me at the Crown?" The invitation was  
instantly and unanimously accepted.  
  
  
They found Setsuna curled up in a booth at the Crown   
Fruit Parlor, nursing a cup of hot tea. The tall, green haired  
woman looked haggard, but she smiled when she saw Haruka  
and the younger girls arrive.   
  
"How are things going, Setsuna?" Haruka asked, her tone  
carefully neutral.  
  
"Oh, everything's fine. I just needed to get out of the  
house for a while." She gave Hotaru a hug and a quick kiss on  
the cheek, and smiled at Chibi Usa. "I need all of you girls to  
come in for a fitting tomorrow for your bridesmaid outfits."  
  
"Oh, Setsuna-san!" Usagi was distressed. "What about  
Chibi Chibi-chan?"  
  
The senshi of time smiled. "Don't worry, Usagi-chan.  
It'll be taken care of." As they ate, the girls discussed the  
wedding and all the plans that had been changed or settled since  
the last time they'd checked. Setsuna and Haruka tried not to  
gripe too much about their snobbish, interfering house-guest,  
but the Inners picked up the fact that they were getting very,  
very tired of his presence. When they'd all finished, Setsuna  
stood up and brushed herself off. "I've really got to get back.  
How are the cranes coming?"   
  
"Halfway done," Haruka said noncommittally. "I think  
we're going to take the rest of the day off from crane-making and  
goof off a little."  
  
Setsuna smiled grimly. "Have fun. If I'm lucky, I'll be  
able to finish the rest of your gear tonight, Haruka." Haruka  
felt more than a bit guilty and laid a hand on Setsuna's arm.  
  
"Are you sure you can't join us for a minute?"  
  
"Thanks, but no. Arcades aren't really my thing, anyway.  
And if I can get into my room and lock the door before Burei-san  
realizes I'm home... Ja ne."  
  
"Ja ne," everyone chorused.   
  
Haruka settled the bill over Rei and Ami's protests.  
In return the Inners vowed to treat her at the arcade. They spent  
a few lovely carefree hours playing the Sailor V game and F-1  
racing, before Haruka decided she had been away long enough.  
Minako had actually managed not to be lapped by Haruka when they  
played racing. Leaving the rest of the origami paper with the  
girls in case they felt inspired to work on the dratted things  
overnight, Haruka promised to meet them the next morning at Rei's  
to finish, then drive them over to the fitting. When she arrived  
home, Michiru and Burei were seated on the couch, sipping glasses  
of plum wine and arguing quietly about the bride's bouquet.  
Michiru had decided long ago that she wanted white lilies, but  
Burei was trying his hardest to convince her of the virtues of  
white roses. There was no sign of Setsuna, apart from a frustrated  
muttering from the other side of her door, the lower portion of  
which was covered in scuffmarks.  
  
"Michiru, was there a problem?"  
  
"Oh, nothing major. Burei-san just wanted to have another  
look at the embroidery on your haori, but Setsuna didn't want to  
let him in. Is she all right? She seems a little stressed."  
  
Haruka coughed. "Setsuna has her ways of dealing with  
this sort of thing. She'll be fine. Well, if you two don't need  
me for anything, I think I'll watch a little television and go to bed.  
You two shouldn't stay up much later, either. You need your rest,   
Michiru."  
  
"All right, love. See you in the morning."  
  
  
Haruka awoke mostly refreshed the next morning, but with an  
inexplicable feeling of dread. She rolled over to greet her darling,  
and realized with a start that Michiru's side of the bed had not been  
slept in. She knew there must be a logical explanation. Probably her  
beloved had just fallen asleep on the couch the night before, exhausted  
by the endless planning. Haruka threw on some clothes and raced  
downstairs to test her theory. Over the arm of the couch, she spied  
a tousled shock of hair. Blue hair. ~His~ hair. It took all of  
Haruka's control not to vault over the back of the couch and strangle  
the little weasel as he slept. Treading cautiously around to the other  
side, Haruka found herself standing on something slippery. Something  
aqua and slippery.  
  
Haruka backed up as quickly and quietly as she could,  
attempting to swallow a wave of rage. There, half concealed behind  
the coffee table, arm curled protectively around a sheaf of papers,   
lay her bride to be. Haruka moved the table, careful not to dislodge  
the haphazard stacks of papers and the now empty wine bottle, and   
bent to pick up her lifemate. She climbed the stairs, careful to   
skip the fourth one from the top, which squeaked, and laid Michiru   
on the bed in their room.   
  
"Sleep, sweet darling. Aishiteru," she whispered, tucking the  
blankets in gently. She pulled the door closed quietly and tiptoed   
down the stairs. Approaching the living room, Haruka was struck by an  
irrational urge to get a permanent marker and draw a mustache and  
spectacles on the interloper's face, in the way Hotaru's favorite   
Pocket Monster did when it was irked at a sleeping person. She shook   
her head a few times to clear it and made her way to the kitchen to   
get her revenge in a slightly more adult manner.  
  
Haruka moved noisily around in the kitchen, banging doors and  
rattling containers until the tousled wedding coordinator sat bolt  
upright on the couch and moaned, holding his head.   
  
"Is ~that~ much noise ~really~ necessary?" he asked crossly.  
Haruka just smiled angelically and held up a steaming plate.   
  
"I was just fixing some breakfast, Meiwaku-san," she said  
sweetly. "Do you want the zucchini parmesan or the baked spaghetti?"  
  
"For ~breakfast~? Are you out of your ~mind~? Surely you   
can't be offering ~me~ leftover Italian food for ~breakfast~!"  
  
Just then Setsuna, alerted either by the aroma of Italian or  
by the shouting, emerged from her room. "Ooh, baked spaghetti!   
Thanks, Haruka." The Senshi of Time took the plate from Haruka and  
retreated to her den.  
  
"I guess that leaves the zucchini for you, Meiwaku-san. Better  
get it while the getting's good! I'm afraid we've been so busy that  
we're completely out of breakfast cereal."  
  
The blue haired man rose and stumbled, grumbling, into the  
kitchen. "I'm not really hungry. Do you have any Tylenol, by any   
chance?"   
  
Haruka shook her head cheerfully. "Nope, fresh out."   
  
"Advil? Ibuprofen?"  
  
"I'm afraid not." The man grumbled some more and shuffled   
toward the stairs, muttering something about a hot shower. "Be careful   
not to wake Michiru. She had a rough night. By the way, how did you   
like the couch? Some of our friends think it's very comfy."  
  
"Fine," he growled, wincing as his foot landed on the squeaky  
step. He disappeared into Hotaru's room. A few minutes later she heard  
the sound of running water.   
  
"That couch is definately better than the floor," Haruka  
growled, none too quietly. Setsuna crept out of her workroom and   
peered up the stairs, a mischievous look in her eyes. Seconds later,   
Haruka heard the sound of a flushing toilet from the downstairs   
bathroom and a muffled screech from the upstairs bathroom. Setsuna   
peered back around the corner and flipped Haruka a V-sign, before   
returning to the sanctuary of her room. Minutes later the doorbell   
rang. Haruka opened it warily, not knowing what to expect this early   
in the morning. To her surprise, the opened door revealed the Inner   
Senshi, completely bright-eyed and bushy tailed. They poured through   
the doorway, each with a cheery 'Ohayo' that Haruka was too stunned to  
return. Behind Usagi, who was carrying a very large paper shopping   
bag filled with those blasted cranes, came Taiki, Yaten, and... Seiya.  
She had gotten along with the young idol much better since that   
fateful night nearly a month before, but Michiru sure hadn't.   
  
"How're things coming?" Seiya asked, shaking Haruka's hand.  
  
"Fairly well, except for Mister Annoyance," Setsuna called from  
the depths of her workroom. "Minako-chan, come back here for a moment,  
will you? I want you to try this on!" The Senshi of Love darted into  
the workroom and shut the door behind her. Everyone else found a place  
to sit while Haruka explained matters to the three young men. When she  
finished, Yaten sniffed. He put down the folder of reception details   
he had been leafing through and caught Haruka's eye.   
  
"Why are you three putting up with this rude fellow? From the  
look of things, you've got everything well in hand. Sure, the   
reception needs more work, but the tickets, rooms, and ceremony are  
basically taken care of."  
  
"Welllll," Haruka hedged. She had been thinking basically the  
same thing herself for the past twenty-four hours. Still, Michiru   
seemed to be deriving some benefit from the little man's presence and  
input. She was spared a reply by a loud crash from Hotaru's room.  
  
"What was that?" the little girl asked suspiciously just as   
Minako bounced out of Setsuna's workroom. Ami-chan and Chibi Usa   
sprang up and grabbed her by the shoulders as she made for the stairs.  
  
"I think your Setsuna-mama's probably ready for you now,   
Hotaru-chan," said the quick thinking blue haired girl, closing   
the door behind her.  
  
"Haruka?" A sleepy voice issued from the room at the end of the  
upstairs hallway. "Dai jobu?"  
  
"Yes, darling," Haruka called. "Everything's fine! Go back   
to sleep." She balled her hands into fists. "So I can kill the little  
weasel," she muttered under her breath. Seiya gave her an inquiring   
look. "I'd better go see what happened. " she said tightly.   
  
"I think I'll go with you." Seiya offered smoothly.  
  
All the way up the stairs, Haruka resisted the impulse to pick  
up various blunt and heavy objects. Seiya opened the door to reveal   
Meiwaku Burei sprawled on Hotaru's bed, clad only in a pair of   
passion-flower print silk boxer shorts, wrestling with an unopened   
bottle of headache pills. The crystalline shards of another one of   
Hotaru's lamps littered the floor. Haruka sighed and went back   
downstairs for the dustpan and broom while Seiya opened the   
childproof cap and handed the indignant Meiwaku a glass of water.   
As Haruka returned to sweep up, Seiya was excusing himself to go have  
a good laugh in the downstairs bathroom. Little did the pop star know   
that the vents carried every little sound up to Hotaru's room...  
  
If Seiya noticed Burei's cool demeanor when the blue-haired man   
finally stumbled down the stairs to join them in the living room, he  
apparently didn't care. Hotaru glanced up periodically from her  
Pokemon battle with Chibi Usa to give the lamp-killer murderous looks.   
Everyone else made attempts at pleasant conversation while the rest   
of the girls had their fittings.   
  
Yaten and Burei started a discussion about the reception that   
drew in Makoto very quickly. "How are you planning to do the Kohaku   
manjyu?" she asked the coordinator, peering at the book in front of  
him. "You have to be careful so that it's easy to cut without hurting   
the smaller pastries inside." Meiwaku looked annoyed.  
  
"And what would a schoolgirl know about the intricacies of  
traditional wedding pastries?" he asked with a sniff of disdain.  
  
"Actually, Makoto-san is quite gifted when it comes to  
cooking," Taiki said, joining the conversation.   
  
"Her dream is to have her own bakery and flower shop some day,"  
Minako chimed in. Meiwaku's look deepened to one of disgust.   
  
"I'd wish you the best of luck, but I doubt it would do any  
good. It takes more than a knack for making cookies to make it in  
today's market. You're such a big girl that you could probably   
intimidate a few people into buying your food, but it wouldn't get  
you far." Makoto turned scarlet and turned away. She walked over   
to Chibi Usa and Hotaru and started giving the black-haired girl some  
tips on how to most effectively use Pikachu's thunderbolt attacks.   
  
Rei glided out of workroom and turned a neat circle, showing   
the others the beautiful work Setsuna did on her priestess robes for  
the ceremony. The other girls showed their approval, but Meiwaku was  
not impressed. "~This~ person is performing the ceremony? She'll make   
a mockery of the entire ritual! Give me the phone! I'm not letting   
some young slip of a girl lead this wedding to ruin. We must find   
someone with more experience, someone with a sense of dignity.   
Someone who won't waft along in their robes like they're going to a   
rock concert in a cocktail dress! Give me the phone!"   
  
The look of shock on Rei's face was slowly burned away by the  
growing fire in her eyes.  
  
"What. Did. You. Say?" she whispered, barely containing her  
fury.   
  
"Now Meiwaku-san," Ami said reasonably, "Rei-chan has been a  
priestess for many years, and she takes her duties very seriously.  
Haruka-san and Michiru-san asked her to perform the ceremony." The   
still hung-over Meiwaku rounded on the studious senshi.   
  
"When I want your input, Miss Bookworm, I'll ask for it," he   
snapped. "Are you even coming to the wedding, or do you plan to sit up  
in your hotel room and study the whole time?"  
  
"Now just a minute!" Minako broke in. "How dare you speak to   
her that way?"  
  
"Oh shut up, bow-head!" Meiwaku snarled. "If your fashion   
sense is any indication of your common sense -"  
  
"I like Minako-chan's bow. It goes with just about   
everything," Usagi interrupted, oblivious to the tension.  
  
"You would," Meiwaku spat venomously. "Those dumplings are   
absurd. You're not three years old anymore, you know. Mind your own  
business, Odango Atama."   
  
The sound of her nickname uttered by someone other than   
Mamo-chan or Seiya, whom she'd gotten used to, struck something within  
Usagi. Her eyes began to tear up, and her lip began to tremble.   
  
"Why you!" shouted Rei. "Only her closest friends get to call   
her that! You're history!" The Three Lights, who had been having  
enough trouble restraining the outraged Senshis of Fire and Lightning,  
redoubled their efforts to keep the two girls from harming the   
self-righteous wedding coordinator.  
  
Haruka, who had been Meiwaku-proofing the rest of Hotaru's  
lamps, heard the commotion and ran to the aid of her houseguest -   
whichever one of them was being murdered. She jumped the landing and   
grabbed Minako's wrist just in time to keep the Senshi of Love from   
braining the wedding coordinator with one of the blunt and heavy   
objects she herself had bypassed just half an hour before.  
  
Looking as elegant as someone with deep circles beneath her   
eyes can look, Michiru glided down the stairs and smiled at the   
gathering. "Ohayo, minna! What a pleasant surprise! We didn't expect   
you here until sometime this afternoon."  
  
"Well, Michiru-san, we finished up the cranes and thought it   
would be best to spare Haruka-san the drive. Seiya-kun, Taiki-kun,   
and Yaten-kun saw us walking and offered us a lift," Ami-chan   
explained.  
  
"I see," said the aqua-haired senshi, pausing to give Haruka  
a peck on the cheek. "Thank you for leaving the aspirin on the   
bedside table for me, Haruka. It was very sweet of you. I was hoping   
you could take Burei-san and me into town to do a bit more shopping.  
Would you all like to come along?" Since shopping was an activity  
you didn't have to suggest to the Inner Senshi more than once, within   
five minutes everyone was comfortably settled either in the Three   
Lights' black minivan or in Haruka's yellow convertible. Before they   
left, Haruka stuck her head just inside the door of Setsuna's workroom.   
  
"Are you sure you don't want to come?"  
  
Setsuna shook her head and spoke around a mouthful of pins.   
"Don't even talk to me. Apparently while the Princess is in Hawaii,   
she and Minako-chan discover something called a Hawaiian Shave Ice and   
chocolate-covered macadamia nuts. I have to let out their outfits a   
bit."  
  
"Setsuna, you aren't breaking any rules to get all this done on  
time, are you?" Just then a purple glow coalesced in the only vacant  
corner of the workroom and a recognizable bundle of clothing drifted   
to the floor. Setsuna gave Haruka a conspiratorial wink. "Just let me  
worry about that. Go on, you don't want to keep the others waiting."  
  
  
After an unpleasant, at least for Haruka, ride to downtown   
Tokyo, during which Meiwaku and Yaten in the back seat of the   
convertible squabbled about the right kind of pastries to have at   
the reception, the group had a wonderful time helping Michiru choose   
gifts for the other wedding guests. After a few hours Taiki suggested   
that everyone should go take the packages to the van while Michiru   
finished up. Yaten seconded the motion and handed his three packages   
to an outraged Meiwaku, then accompanied Michiru into the final store.   
  
The packages were carefully stowed in the van and the group   
was slowly making its way back to the store when something bright   
laying in the gutter caught Chibi Chibi's eye. "Chibi Chibi!" she  
cried and darted out to get it before Usagi could stop her. The   
little girl then ran up to a stranger and held up her prize for   
inspection. "Chibi Chibi!" she declared, waving it in the poor woman's  
face. The stranger, a short young woman in a black and white  
pin-striped business suit, took the item from the girl.  
  
"What do you have here, kid?" The woman turned the golden   
bracelet over to reveal a strange purple gem.   
  
"Chibi Chi-BI!" the child exclaimed, then ran back to hug   
Usagi's knees.   
  
"What on earth?" the stranger said, fumbling with the trinket.   
Suddenly the jewel erupted in a scythe of living light that hurtled   
straight toward... Meiwaku Burei. As the glowing missile struck him,   
the annoying wedding coordinator was lifted off the ground and a   
budding flower appeared on his brow. As it unfurled, a glowing gem   
rose from it but quickly lost its luster.   
  
"It figures!" Haruka groaned.   
  
"Chuu!" the stranger exclaimed, "This is too strange for me!   
I'm out of here!" She dropped the bracelet and ran off down the street   
as fast as her legs could carry her.  
  
A wave of light washed over the blue-haired man and he morphed   
into the strangest and most frightening phage any of the senshi had   
ever seen. He resembled a six foot tall weasel with blue fur in an   
American wedding gown, wearing a haori over it and a tsunokakushi. It  
clutched a bouquet of sharp-thorned white roses in its hairy paws.   
"SAI-LA WED-DING!" The phage exclaimed, striking a very effeminate   
pose.  
  
"Minna! Henshin yo!" Haruka cried, an unholy fire lighting her   
eyes. Seconds later, eight Sailor Senshi and two Starlights faced an   
enemy they hadn't dealt with in roughly two years. While they waited   
for Sailor Moon to finish her transformation, which took nearly twice   
as long as anyone else's, Haruka reached into her subspace pocket for   
her communicator. Setsuna deserved to be there for this one.   
Before she had a chance to call, Sailor Pluto stepped out from around   
the corner of the department store, Time Staff in hand.   
  
"Don't worry, Sailor Uranus," Pluto said with a smile, "I   
wouldn't miss this for the world."  
  
By this time, Sailor Moon had finished spinning around and   
launched into one of her famous introductions. However, before she   
could even say "Tsukini kawatte," the monster had been hit by a ball   
of brilliant violet light.  
  
"That's for my Tiffany lamp!" cried Sailor Saturn.   
  
A stream of pink hearts thudded into the side of the phage's   
furry head. "And that's for the crystal lamp!"  
  
The phage was slightly confused by the premature commencement   
of violence, since it had been politely waiting for the end of Sailor   
Moon's speech. With a shrug, it reached deep into the folds of its   
garments and drew out... a bun. "Kohaku manjyu!" it shouted and began   
bombarding the Senshi with the sticky confections.   
  
"My turn," Uranus said, grinning. "Woooorld Shaking!" she  
yelled, releasing her attack.   
  
The phage staggered a bit then cried out, "Good Luck!"   
Suddenly, the air was filled with razor winged origami cranes.   
Sailor Moon and Mercury fell back with cries of pain as the paper  
projectiles opened large cuts on their arms and faces.   
  
"Burniiiing Mandalaaa!" Mars shouted. The cranes were ash  
before they hit the pavement.   
  
Venus whipped out her Venus Love-Me Chain, holding the creature  
in place. "Beauty is only skin deep, but a great hair-style is   
timeless! I'll punish you with Love Power!"  
  
Jupiter threw her Sparkling Wide Pressure. "If you can't   
take the heat, stay out of the kitchen! Never insult food you've   
never tasted!"  
  
Mercury let loose with Mercury Aqua Rhapsody. "Still waters   
run deep! Don't say that a studious girl can't have fun too!"  
  
Mars nailed it with Flame Sniper. "I conduct myself with both  
style and dignity! Never insult the honor of a Shinto Priestess!"  
  
Sailor Star Fighter and Sailor Star Maker stood back with   
bemused looks on their faces.  
  
Sailor Chibi Chibi toddled up to the big blue weasel and   
whacked it over the head with an enormous and heavily jeweled stick.   
"Chibi Chibi!" she shouted then darted back out of the fray.  
  
The Senshi threw attack after attack at the ugly blue beast.  
Eventually even Mercury gave up trying to find the most effective  
way to weaken it and joined in on relieving pre-wedding stress.   
Sailor Moon just waited for someone to cue her to step in and return   
the phage to its normal state, but apparently no one else had thought  
of it yet. "Er, minna?" She began.  
  
"Not now, Sailor Moon!" Sailor Pluto said, throwing yet   
another Dead Scream. Sailor Moon thought Pluto should be getting   
dizzy from the spinning her repeated attacks entailed. The odangoed  
senshi paced back and forth a bit, tossing her wand up in the air and  
catching it, waiting to be useful. After a particularly powerful  
World Shaking knocked the wedding dress-clad meanie to its knees, the  
phage got tired of retaliating  
with its nearly useless attacks and lunged out of the circle of  
tormenting senshi - directly toward Sailor Moon. Its progress was  
immediately impeded by a red rose that imbedded itself in the pavement   
directly in front of its satin pump shod foot.  
  
"Tuxedo Kamen-sama!" the Inners cried in unison.   
  
"The trappings of love are meant to enrich the celebration of   
a couple's union. I, Tuxedo Kamen, will not permit you to exploit   
them so! The regalia of the bride and groom hold special meaning for   
all the people of Japan, and you flaunt our respect for them by using  
them so outrageously. Our traditional foods and crafts must not be so  
defiled! And white roses are a symbol of - " Suddenly a bun bounced   
off of Tuxedo Kamen's forehead.  
  
"Wed-ding?" the phage queried. This guy looked like someone it  
could take. Tuxedo Kamen looked affronted for a moment before   
remembering his next line.  
  
"Now, Sailor Moon!" cried Tuxedo Kamen. Sailor Moon raised her  
Eternal Moon Tier and prepared for her attack.  
  
"Wait!" Haruka shouted. Sailor Moon paused and looked at the   
leader of the Outer Senshi questioningly.   
  
"Woooorld Shaking!" One last golden globe of energy sped toward   
the trembling phage. "Okay. Go ahead." Saturn and Pluto gave her  
mutinous looks.  
  
Sailor Moon began to twirl the Eternal Moon Tier, charging up   
her attack. "Starliiight Honeymoooon Therapy Kiss!" Beams of red   
light sped toward the pitiful phage and enveloped it in a shower of  
feathers.  
  
"Beeeayuuutifuuuulllll!!!!" the phage exclaimed, decomposing   
into Meiwaku Burei. The man's star seed sank back into the flower on   
his forehead. Haruka let out a whoop of triumph as the unconscious   
wedding coordinator fell to the pavement and barely repressed the   
impulse to walk over and kick him several times. Hotaru didn't.   
  
"Sailor Saturn!" Mercury exclaimed.   
  
"I was just making sure he was still alive," Hotaru said   
plaintively. Just then Michiru and a package laden Yaten emerged from  
the department store to catch the pack of senshi gathered around the  
prone form of her wedding coordinator.   
  
"Kami-sama!" the aqua-haired woman breathed. "What have you   
all been doing?" The senshi froze and turned toward the bride-to-be,  
guilty expressions on every face. Tuxedo Kamen shuffled his feet.   
  
"M-Michiru!" Uranus stuttered. "This isn't what it looks   
like!"  
  
Michiru raised a graceful eyebrow. "Mm-hmm. If it isn't what  
it looks like, I'm waiting to hear what it really is."  
  
Seiya and Taiki allowed their transformations to wear off. "We  
didn't have anything to do with this," Seiya claimed, backing away   
quickly. "I'll go get the van."  
  
"I'll go with him," Taiki offered. Yaten handed them each half  
his packages and stood behind Michiru, arms crossed. He was apparently  
as eager to hear Haruka's explanation as she was.   
  
"Well you see dearest," Haruka hedged, trying to buy some time  
to think.   
  
"De-transform before he wakes up," Michiru advised. Seizing  
the distraction gratefully, Sailor Uranus faded away, then Haruka   
turned to face her fiancée.   
  
"Well, you see, we were all walking back from the van when   
Chibi Chibi-chan found this bracelet..." she broke off as a low groan   
came from the ground behind her. Mamoru and Makoto helped the battered  
Meiwaku into a sitting position.   
  
"Wha... What happened?" he asked groggily. "And who are you?"   
he asked, eyeing Mamoru.   
  
"The best man," Mamoru responded, inclining his head   
courteously. Meiwaku's brow furrowed.  
  
Minako took over. "Oh, Meiwaku-san! It was terrible! I've  
never seen someone stand up to such a brutal attack with such courage!"   
she lied glibly. "There must have been a dozen of them!"   
  
"I seem to recall a horde of women in sailor fuku..." the man   
said, holding his head. Michiru's eyes narrowed suspiciously. Minako  
continued chattering at the recovering wedding coordinator as Haruka   
drew Michiru aside, stooping to scoop up the battered bracelet as   
evidence.  
  
"Chibi Chibi-chan apparently found Tin Nyanko's lost bracelet.   
It turned Meiwaku-san into a phage. This thing has had roughly   
two years to charge up, so the phage was a powerful one. We had to   
throw everything we had at it to even weaken it," Haruka said,   
nodding seriously.   
  
"There was a battle? And you didn't even call me? You could   
have been in danger! If you had gotten hurt before our wedding, Tenoh   
Haruka, I would have killed you!" Yaten coughed quietly behind them.  
  
Haruka made to give her sweetheart an apologetic hug, but   
Michiru turned and stalked back to where the group had gotten a   
still-woozy Meiwaku to his feet. The drive back to the Outer's house   
was frostily silent; Ami, Rei, and Makoto, who occupied the back seat,   
were reserved and thoughtful, attempting to give the lovers as much  
privacy as possible when riding in a small sports car. Meiwaku had   
opted to ride in the van where he could rest. When they got home,   
Michiru retired to her room to lie down. After getting little sleep   
the night before, the events of the day had been rather overwhelming.   
A few hours later, she had thawed enough toward Haruka to   
wonder when her blonde partner would come upstairs and try to   
apologize. There came a quiet knock at the door.   
  
"Come in," Michiru said wearily. The door opened slowly, just  
wide enough to admit a single, long-stemmed red rose. Michiru took   
the peace offering, pausing for a moment to inhale its sweet scent  
before grasping Haruka's hand and drawing her inside. They sat down   
on the bed, facing each other. Michiru looked into Haruka's eyes   
expectantly.   
  
"I'm sorry," Haruka began. Michiru smiled. She knew her lover   
so well. It took her a moment to realize that Haruka was still talking.   
" -that I have to tell you this, but Meiwaku-san has decided that   
continuing to work on our wedding after the, er, attack would be too  
much for his nerves. He has resigned. To be fair, he agreed not to   
charge us for the work he did in the past two days since he didn't   
uphold his end of the deal." Michiru's jaw worked up and down for a  
few minutes as she absorbed the information. "But, the reception...   
We didn't even make half the arrangements-"  
  
Haruka shushed her. "It's all taken care of. Yaten-kun has  
agreed to help you with anything you have left. Look at the bright  
side: now we don't have to find another ticket for Chibi Chibi-chan."  
  
Michiru considered for a minute, then nodded her acceptance.   
From somewhere downstairs they heard the popping of a champagne cork.  
  
  
Six weeks before the wedding, Michiru was calm and organized.   
Four weeks before the wedding, she was beginning to feel a bit rushed.   
Two weeks before the wedding, she was ready to scream. One week   
before the wedding, she felt a deep and enduring serenity and was   
confident that everything would go perfectly as planned. Yaten was   
losing his mind; Setsuna was setting up a postal service through the   
time gate; and Haruka was noticing the shrinking number of wine   
bottles in the cellar, but that's another story.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
So what do you think? This is the first fanfic I've actually ever   
finished, so I'm really eager to read some feedback on it. Praise and  
encouragement for this fic can be sent to me at:  
sailor_rhapsody@hotmail.com.   
Flames, death threats, and other not-so-nice responses can reach me   
care of Fire Child. Just kidding.   
  
Meiwaku Burei means Insolent Annoyance, more or less.  
Kohaku manjyu, as Saun's fic Unity will explain, is a traditional   
wedding food in Japan. Basically, it's a bun filled with sweet bean  
paste. Yum yum! ^-^ A tsunokakushi is part of the bride's outfit,   
vaugely resembling a veil.  
  
Many, many thanks to Saun, who literally watched over my shoulder and  
made sure I kept writing on this thing. Aishiteru, Oneisan!  
  
Also dedicated to Fire Child, my Rei-chan, who saw Saun's vision and  
started helping with it.  
  
For Sabi-san, who I miss greatly.   
Also for my Mako, Ami, Minako, and ChibiUsa. You know who you are ^-^  
Love you all!  
  
Other Suggested Reading: Pledged by Saun  
Michiru's Surprise by Fire Child  
The Party by Sabi-san  
The Annoyance   
Unity by Saun  
Togetherness by Saun  
Consummation (H) by Saun  
Ja Ne! 


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